In perhaps China's toughest push to crack down on online defamation, authorities have unveiled measures that could send Internet users to jail for up to three years if found guilty of posting slanderous rumors.
The measures were announced on Monday as part of a judicial interpretation of Chinese law. The measures were established by China's Supreme Court and its top prosecution agency, which spent more than a year studying the subject.
"In recent years, illegal activities that have used the Internet to commit crimes have increased daily," said Supreme Court spokesman Sun Jungong in a televised press conference. "In particular, has been the prominent use of the Internet to commit crimes of defamation."
Under the new measures, Internet users can face defamation charges if their online posts have received over 5,000 views or been re-posted over 500 times. They can also be charged if their online statements caused self-harm or suicide to the victim.
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